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128 or 256 MB GFX?

E

Emultra

Golden Member
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8 GHz (939) 90 nm

Abit AV8 (939)

CPU and mobo.

XFX GeForce 6600GT AGP 128 MB

Video card.

128 or 256MB? Is 128 as future proof anymore? I will use max possible texture resolution and detail, monitor resolution 1024x768 --- 1280x1024.
 
Historically speaking, the difference between two cards that are idnetical core/memory speeds, chipset, etc that differ only in memory will perform almost identically. The most famous example is the Radeon 9800Pro (also 128 and 256MB editions) performing almost identically, even though the 256MB version was clocked higher than it's 128MB counterpart.
 
With the 6600GT there is only one option: 128MB. Thats the only size they make, and yes, it will murder your framerates at high resolutions with AA/AF turned on. Also, DON'T get an XFX card, there are tons of threads on this....EVGA, BFG, and Leadtek are some of the better brands, but for gods sake, don't get an XFX.
If you want future proofing in an AGP card, I recommend the 6800GT. I was looking at a 6600GT for a while, but sprung for the 6800GT and got MUCH better framerates because of it.
Good luck,
Nick
 
Originally posted by: zakee00
...DON'T get an XFX card, there are tons of threads on this....EVGA, BFG, and Leadtek are some of the better brands...
Nick
Click to expand...
What's wrong with eVGA?...

 
So 256MB has finally become the real way to go?

I guess the 6800GT (256) would be good, but it's very pricey over here. You know, our sales tax alone is 25%. That's not talking about the 40%+ income tax.
 
heh dont worry about it, i wasnt very clear. you are right though, the 6800gt is pretty damn expensive. depends on what you want though. the performance difference between a 6600GT and a 6800NU isnt that much (only when you play at hires aa/af is there a huge difference, because of extra pipes and 256mb of ram), but if you spend the extra cash on a 6800nu, you have a good chance of unlocking the pipes to make it a GT essentially. THEN you will have a big difference between the 6600GT and the 6800GT 😀
 
Originally posted by: zakee00
heh dont worry about it, i wasnt very clear. you are right though, the 6800gt is pretty damn expensive. depends on what you want though. the performance difference between a 6600GT and a 6800NU isnt that much (only when you play at hires aa/af is there a huge difference, because of extra pipes and 256mb of ram), but if you spend the extra cash on a 6800nu, you have a good chance of unlocking the pipes to make it a GT essentially. THEN you will have a big difference between the 6600GT and the 6800GT 😀
Click to expand...

most 6800's only come with 128 mb of ram. and the ones that do have 256 megs of ram are only 60-70$ less expensive than a gt... so what's the point?
 
yeah fish, you are right. sorry, i didnt look at 6800nu's too much when i was shopping.
So, i guess if you want better performance then a 6600GT, a 6800NU isnt really worth it. either get the 6800GT or x800/Pro. the x800XL is pretty much a PCIe only card, or so ive heard on HardOCP.
 
I can pretty much expect 25-80% more expensive than whatever you guys can find in your US stores.

What I'm concerned about is the GFX becoming a bottle-neck compared to the rest of the system (3000+ or higher, 1GB RAM) and slowing the system to a halt, gaming wise, long before the CPU will.

1600x1200 resolutions and the like are neither a priority nor an option for me, I value texture resolution and detail higher. 1280x1024 will do as long as the rest can be cranked up, with a bit of AA/AS as icing.

A hardware inter-component match is important, no? 🙂
 
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